FATBOY INSPIRED BY
RUSTY EGAN’S DJ SKILLS
Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim owes his turntable skills to a New Romantic legend. Fatboy –
or rather Norman Cook – named Rusty Egan his first DJ inspiration. “He was our hero
when I was a kid – I was 16, 17. He was one of the first ‘name’ artists who was just
known for being a DJ and a producer. Actually, I bumped into him last summer. Funnily
enough, I had to stand in for Spandau Ballet at Ibiza Rocks because the drummer [John
Keeble] had a health issue, so they had to pull out. And because I was on the island, I
sat in for them. But Rusty was supposed to be the warm-up DJ, and he still plays, so I got
the chance to catch up with him.”
These days, Cook picks and chooses the gigs he does and is increasingly keen on art
projects and soundtracks. “I’m just flexing different muscles,” he told Music Feeds. “I’ve
got to that age in life where I don’t just wanna be on the treadmill making records for the
rest of my life. I think probably my biggest inspiration is David Byrne. He wanders
around doing different things within the realms of being ‘David Byrne’, but experimenting
with dance and film and art and other cultural arts, rather than just doing music. That
way, he’s never bored.”
Byrne and Cook previously collaborated on the Here Lies Love album and musical
about the life of Imelda Marcos.Swing album
for the Kemps
Pop star husband and wife Martin
and Shirlie Kemp are making sweet
music together. The Spandau Ballet
bassist and Wham! backing
vocalist have recorded a selection
of romantic covers with a big band
titled The Swing Of It. “It’s brought
us even closer together,” quipped
Martin. “For Shirlie and I, the
words actually mean something so
there is a spark there, which is
what got everyone excited.”
The collection is released on
22 November followed by a live
date at London’s Royal Festival Hall
on 25 January 2020.
Donovan puts
out a fire in
his underwear
Jason Donovan has gone from
Neighbours actor to neighbourly
lifesaver. The PWL favourite leapt
out of bed in his underwear to
rescue neighbours from a fire
outside his Notting Hill home in
September. The pop star was filmed
grabbing a fire extinguisher to
tackle the blaze caused by an
electrical fault before emergency
services arrived. It’s not the first time
Donovan has displayed heroics
- back in May, while jogging, the
Aussie came across a woman
who had collapsed, and stayed
with her for 15 minutes until
paramedics arrived.
Donovan has announced a huge
Even More Reasons tour for 2020
opening at The Centaur in
Cheltenham on 16 September.